Korean Chicken Fried with Buttermilk & Sriracha

Double dredge. That’s the move. Buttermilk soak, flour coat, egg wash, flour again—crispy that lasts past the first bite. Two pounds of chicken breast tenders, Korean heat from sriracha mixed into the marinade, and smoked chili powder in the flour mix instead of plain paprika. Makes it taste like something other than standard fried chicken.

Why You’ll Love This Korean Chicken Fried

Takes an hour 40 minutes total but most of that’s marinating while you do literally nothing. Actual cooking is 30 minutes. Comfort food that actually tastes interesting. Not boring fried chicken—sriracha in the buttermilk, smoked chili powder in the coating. Crispy chicken tenders with a crunch that stays crispy for hours. The double dredge holds. Works as dinner. Works as meal prep. Works cold the next day, better maybe. One dutch oven. One frying session. Cleanup isn’t nothing but it’s fast.

What You Need for Korean Fried Chicken Tenders

Buttermilk. A full cup. Not Greek yogurt, not sour cream. Buttermilk has acid and bacteria that actually tenderize meat differently.

Sriracha. A tablespoon mixed into that buttermilk. If you can’t handle spicy, skip it—the rest of the recipe isn’t heat. Just add more sriracha if you want actual kick.

Two pounds of chicken breast tenders. Not thighs. Not whole breasts you cut yourself. Tenders cook faster and more evenly because they’re uniform thickness.

Flour and cornstarch. That’s 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus 1/4 cup cornstarch. The cornstarch is why it crisps instead of just browns. Skip it and you lose texture.

Salt, pepper, onion powder, baking powder, smoked chili powder. Kosher salt—1 1/2 teaspoons. Black pepper, 1 teaspoon. Onion powder, 1 teaspoon. Baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons. Smoked chili powder, 1 teaspoon. That baking powder is what makes it shatter-crispy. The smoked chili powder is what makes it taste different from fried chicken strips you’ve had before.

Eggs. Two large ones, beaten. Nothing fancy required.

Vegetable oil for frying. Enough to hit 5 or 6 quarts in a dutch oven. Track the temp with a thermometer if you have one. If you don’t, a pinch of flour should sizzle and float without burning.

How to Make Fried Chicken Using Buttermilk

Mix buttermilk with sriracha in a small bowl. Whisk it. Actually whisk, don’t just stir.

Dump the chicken tenders into a gallon Ziploc or a lidded container. Pour the buttermilk mixture over. Seal it. Move it around so everything’s covered. Refrigerate for at least 55 minutes. An hour if you have time. Not longer than an hour and 5 minutes—it gets too soft.

While that goes, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, onion powder, baking powder, and smoked chili powder in a large shallow bowl. Keep this bowl right there. You’ll need it in a second.

Beat the eggs in another shallow bowl with a fork. That’s it.

Heat the vegetable oil in a dutch oven on high until it hits around 345°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a tiny pinch of flour in there. It should sizzle and float fast without smoking like crazy. That’s your signal.

Set up a baking dish or large platter lined with paper towels. This is where the chicken goes to drain.

How to Get Crispy Fried Chicken Tenders

Grab a tender with tongs. Shake off the buttermilk—not all of it, but don’t leave it dripping everywhere either. You want it coated, not soaked.

Dredge it in the flour mixture. Press the flour on with your fingers lightly. This first coat sticks better when you actually touch it. Don’t rush this part.

Dip that floured tender into the beaten eggs. Get it covered on all sides.

Dredge again into the flour. This double coat is what keeps the crunch lasting. Shake off the excess flour gently—too much and you get a gritty bite instead of crispy.

Throw 4 or 5 tenders into the hot oil at once. Loud sizzle. Visible bubbles around the edges. If it’s bubbling aggressively and smells burned, lower the heat to medium-high or medium right away.

Fry for 3 to 5 minutes. The tenders turn deep golden. Crispy crust forms. Flip once halfway through with tongs. You’ll feel the texture change—from soft to firm—and the edges get crackly.

Lift them out with tongs. Put them on the paper towels to drain. Let them rest for five minutes. Crunch stays crisp that way, and the inside stays juicy.

Fried Chicken Tenders Tips and Common Mistakes

Don’t reuse the leftover buttermilk. It gets mixed with flour dust and marinade drips and it ruins the batter consistency. Start fresh or skip it.

Discard the marinade after you pull the chicken out. Same reason.

The temperature matters more than exact timing. If your oil’s too cool, you get soggy, greasy chicken. Too hot and it’s black outside, raw inside. 345°F is the sweet spot. That pinch of flour test works if you don’t have a thermometer.

Don’t skip the cornstarch. All flour makes it thick and dense. Cornstarch makes it shatter.

The baking powder isn’t a mistake. It’s what makes it actually crispy instead of just fried.

Double dredge. Don’t skip that either. Single coat gets soft after an hour.

Smoked chili powder instead of paprika. Paprika tastes like nothing. This tastes like something.

Korean Chicken Fried with Buttermilk & Sriracha

By Emma

Prep:

15 min

Cook:

30 min

Total:

1h 40min

Servings:

14 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon sriracha
• 2 pounds chicken breast tenders
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked chili powder
• 2 large eggs
• Vegetable oil for frying

Method

1. 1 Whisk buttermilk with sriracha vigorously in small bowl, not just mixing, emulsify a little.
2. 2 Stuff the chicken tenders into a gallon Ziploc or a lidded container. Pour the spicy buttermilk bath over. Seal, nudge around for coating. Refrigerate minimum 55 minutes, up to 1 hour 5.
3. 3 In a large shallow bowl, sift or whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, onion powder, baking powder, smoked chili powder. That chili powder switch? Adds a deeper kick I prefer over plain paprika. Keep this bowl close.
4. 4 Beat eggs in medium shallow bowl. No fancy whisk needed, a fork works fine.
5. 5 Heat 5 to 6-quart dutch oven with vegetable oil on high until it hits around 345°F. If no thermometer, test with a pinch of flour: it should sizzle and float rapidly without smoking violently.
6. 6 Line a baking dish or large platter with thick paper towels to catch excess oil.
7. 7 Grab each tender with tongs, shake off marinade (don’t drip too much but don’t leave it sloppy either). Dredge in seasoned flour mix, press flour in lightly with fingers. That initial coat sticks better this way–don’t rush this step.
8. 8 Dip coated tender into beaten eggs, get full coverage. Then dredge once more into flour mix, this double-layer keeps the crunch lasting. Excess flour means a gritty bite so shake off gently.
9. 9 Discard remaining marinade. No second use. Bit of buttermilk left over ruins batter consistency and flavor if reused.
10. 10 Slide 4 to 5 tenders into hot oil. Expect a loud sizzle and visible bubbling around edges. If oil bubbles aggressively and smells burnt, lower heat early to medium-high or medium immediately. Fry about 3 to 5 minutes, until tenders turn deep golden with crispy crust. Flip once with tongs halfway through. Texture changes from soft to firm, edges get crackly and crispy.
11. 11 Transfer cooked tenders to paper towels. Rest five minutes before serving. Crunch stays crisp, juices redistribute inside. Serve with any dipping sauce—ranch, honey mustard, or even a white pepper gravy for the full Southern vibe.

Nutritional information

Calories

115

Protein

5g

Carbs

18g

Fat

3.5g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Can I use chicken breast instead of tenders? Yeah, but cut them into tender-sized pieces yourself. Uneven thickness means some parts cook while others are still soft. Tenders are pre-cut uniform, which is the whole point.

What if I don’t have a thermometer? The pinch of flour test works fine. Drop it in. It should sizzle and float rapidly, not sink or smoke aggressively. That tells you the oil is hot enough.

Can I air fry these instead of deep frying? Air fryer fried chicken tenders work, sure. Spray the basket with oil, lay them flat, 380°F for 15 minutes, shake the basket halfway. Won’t be quite as crispy because there’s no oil submersion, but it’s faster and less messy.

How long does this stay crispy? The double dredge keeps it crispy for hours at room temperature. Cold the next day it’s still crunchy. After that it gets soft.

Do I have to marinate for a full hour? Minimum 55 minutes. Less than that and the buttermilk hasn’t done its job—the inside stays tough. More than an hour and five minutes it goes mushy. Stick to the window.

What should I serve this with? Ranch, honey mustard, or white pepper gravy if you want full Southern comfort food vibes. But it also works with gochujang mayo if you want to lean into the Korean side.